Thanks Scottes, 20 lines above is my normal blind spot sorry I missed it the first time. The extract goes in after the syrup is cooled correct? no almond milk huh? that stuffs gonna sit around a while I guess.Mytah

I tried a batch with almond milk, as well as home-made almond milk, if you feel like reading my long diatribe about my trials. I did not find it useful at all. And the home-made was far too much of a pain in the neck, in my opinion. If you're a purist, I'm pretty sure that I did list the measurements for the ingredients that I used.

And no, it doesn't stay around too long in my house, though it will last.

And I forgot to add that I would first try 1 cup of sugar - I think 1.5 cups makes it too sweet for a Mai Tai. If 1 cup isn't enough you can always add 1/2 cup more and shake it like hell.

And yes, I would add the extract after it's cooled, but I doubt that it really matters.
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I'm new in all that stuff, but getting very interested. I got a basic question about orgeat: I'm from Spain and we have "horchata", in fact is very common. We drink it chilled at summer by its own, not as an ingredient to cocktails. On the other hand, I had never heard about "orgeat syrup" before getting into tiki drinks recipes.

The question is that I don't know if that "horchata" we have is the same thing that orgeat. I have asked in a couple of great liquor stores and they don't know anything about orgeat syrup. Moreover, I checked some recipes to brew your own "horchata" and are very similar to the orgeat syrup recipes I have seen on the net.

The problem I have is, since I have never seen a bottle of orgeat syrup, I can't compare to our "horchata". And, considering I don't know exactly what am I expected to get, it's a bit difficult to brew my own. "Horchata" has a milky texture but is a bit more tanned that milk, without having a cream colour. It's sweet but doesn't has a creamy or thick texture on mouth

It sounds quite similar, though horchata seems to be made with tigernuts (chufa) rather than almonds. I would also have to guess that horchata does not contain orange flower water, which gives a very mild addition to orgeat.

It is quite simple to make orgeat - as long as you can find orange flower water. Making a small batch is not very expensive and doesn't take too long. Then compare orgeat versus horchata.

But something even simpler, if you're not one that demands exact ingredients: Try a couple orgeat drinks and substitute horchata. You may have to adjust the amount of horchata to get a good flavor. But in the end, if you like the drink that way, then stick with horchata. So it may not be an "official" Mai Tai, but if it's a Mai Tai you like then that is a good thing.
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On 2007-04-19 06:43, Scottes wrote:But in the end, if you like the drink that way, then stick with horchata. So it may not be an "official" Mai Tai, but if it's a Mai Tai you like then that is a good thing.

The question is that I don't know if that "horchata" we have is the same thing that orgeat. I have asked in a couple of great liquor stores and they don't know anything about orgeat syrup. Moreover, I checked some recipes to brew your own "horchata" and are very similar to the orgeat syrup recipes I have seen on the net.

The problem I have is, since I have never seen a bottle of orgeat syrup, I can't compare to our "horchata". And, considering I don't know exactly what am I expected to get, it's a bit difficult to brew my own. "Horchata" has a milky texture but is a bit more tanned that milk, without having a cream colour. It's sweet but doesn't has a creamy or thick texture on mouth

Horchata has the same linguistic roots as orgeat and, though they are somewhat related, they are two different things. The almond milk that goes into making orgeat is a kind of horchata. The original horchata (supposedly) was a nut milk popular in ancient Egypt made from chufa (tiger nut). Horchata has since come to refer to a variety of vegetable milks; chufa, rice, almonds, and more. Soy milk could probably be called a type of horchata.

Anyway...the French orgeat always seems to have been made of almonds. Almond syrup is often used as a subtitute for orgeat, but they are not the same. You make almond syrup from almond extract, whereas, in keeping with its 'almond milk' name, orgeat must be made with almond milk.

It's worth making your own orgeat, even if it is readily available where you are, which is not likely. Most liquor store staff (that I have encountered) have no idea what orgeat is. The same is true with most bartenders—exceptions being those who work in tiki bars or in establishments that specialize in tropical concoctions. The easiest way to buy orgeat is online. I keep some Tessiere Orgeat on hand so I have something if I depleat my stock of the real deal.

Later in this forum I will offer a few of my own insights into making orgeat.

If you let it, making orgeat can be a pain in the ass. So, I try not to let it. Ultimately, it's worth while.

On 2007-05-07 09:44, The Gnomon wrote:Horchata has the same linguistic roots as orgeat and, though they are somewhat related, they are two different things. The almond milk that goes into making orgeat is a kind of horchata. The original horchata (supposedly) was a nut milk popular in ancient Egypt made from chufa (tiger nut). Horchata has since come to refer to a variety of vegetable milks; chufa, rice, almonds, and more. Soy milk could probably be called a type of horchata.

Exactly. I purchased some almond milk and it was very similar to horchata. But unlike Scottes' almond milk, that one (Almendrola, a Spanish brand) has a strong almond flavor. Well, the fact is that I tried to brew some orgeat. I wrote before I have no idea what orgeat syrup looks like, so that was a big deal for me, and anything I get would be fine. Well, not anything, but I can't tell "That's not orgeat syrup", because I can't compare.

Well, so I had orange flower water, and almond milk, but I just couldn't find almond extract. Well I did, but in big bottles for professional cooks that were like 40$, and honestly, I prefer spending that money in a good rum. So it was like:

I tasted that brew and for me it was OK. It had almond flavour, it was sweet and has that orange flower water aroma in it. Slight rum flavour, but not the first one. But, as I told, I don't know if that's exactly like orgeat syrup, but can anyone tell me if that recipe can give something similar? Anyway, I'm doing the best to get the almond extract. Anyway, that almond milk I used gave the almond flavor.

Exactly. I purchased some almond milk and it was very similar to horchata. But unlike Scottes' almond milk, that one (Almendrola, a Spanish brand) has a strong almond flavor. Well, the fact is that I tried to brew some orgeat. I wrote before I have no idea what orgeat syrup looks like, so that was a big deal for me, and anything I get would be fine. Well, not anything, but I can't tell "That's not orgeat syrup", because I can't compare.

It's thickish, but not at all slow-pouring. It's whitish overall, especially, store-bought varieties, but not solid white like cow's milk. It's actually rather seminal (hee hee) in appearance, mainly white but streaked and bespeckled with varying degrees of opacity.

Quote:

Well, so I had orange flower water, and almond milk, but I just couldn't find almond extract. Well I did, but in big bottles for professional cooks that were like 40$, and honestly, I prefer spending that money in a good rum.

Outside of the almond milk emulsion, I consider the use of extracts to be acts of desperation to repair a defective batch. Such doctoring helps to prevent the batch from becoming a total loss, but it is never quite right. I've had to doctor my share of batches gone awry. Doctoring is better than pouring $50 worth of materials and considerable labor down the drain, but doesn't compare to a batch that comes out right.

Too much water. The sugar should be dissolved directly into the heated almond milk, which itself has too much water. The milk should be heated, but no more than about halfway to boiling, since you don't want it to cook; just evaporate a lot of the water—in your lifetime.

As the water evaporates the syrup gets thicker. Keeping in mind that it's supposed to be a little bit runny, I make this part a little thicker than I want it to end up because I will be adding a quarter of a pint or so of vodka and a few jiggers of rum (for flavor, consistency, and character—if I kept it around long enough it would also have a preserving effect).

I use both orange flower and rose waters, which go in last; twice as much orange flower than rose, and plenty of it. I pour them in directly from the bottle without measuring. Pour-stir-sniff; pour-stir-sniff; until it's right. These go in last because the amounts needed are affected by the pungency of the spirits you use. If you use only vodka, then you'll need less flower water. If you use Coruba rum, which is overpowering, you'll have to dump a lot more flower water in. BTW, using Coruba (or similar dark rum) gives the orgeat a definite caramel tinge.

At that point, if it doesn't pass the taste test, it's time to send the patient to the ER and start doctoring.

Quote:

I tasted that brew and for me it was OK. It had almond flavour, it was sweet and has that orange flower water aroma in it. Slight rum flavour, but not the first one. But, as I told, I don't know if that's exactly like orgeat syrup, but can anyone tell me if that recipe can give something similar? Anyway, I'm doing the best to get the almond extract. Anyway, that almond milk I used gave the almond flavor.

Well, technically, you can take a few drops of pure orange extract, pure almond extract, and rose water, the combination of which turns cloudy, and make something that tastes somewhat "reminiscent" of orgeat when it's mixed into a drink. But it's obviously not orgeat. It doesn't offer the drink the velvet character of orgeat nor is the flavor as organic. If I didn't have any orgeat when I went to make a Mai Tai, I'd resort to the orange and almond extracts and rose water substitute (very poor substitute, but better than nothing).

When my orgeat separates into layers, I use one of those turkey baster (giant eye dropper) things to dip down under the top layer into the syrup layer. It's a little labor-intensive, but I keep my "working orgeat" in a smallish dispenser anyway and just keep refilling it when it gets low.

If you try the turkey baster, be sure to squeeze the bulb while you penetrate the top layer so nothing gets inside until you reach the syrup.

I tried making my orgeat with store bought almond milk, and while it tastes great it is very opaque Does anybody have any advice on this? Should I strain the almond milk before hand? Any more recipes? I know other people have attemted this.
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On 2007-06-21 15:21, frostiki wrote:I tried making my orgeat with store bought almond milk, and while it tastes great it is very opaque Does anybody have any advice on this? Should I strain the almond milk before hand? Any more recipes? I know other people have attemted this.

I wouldn't bother straining the milk before hand. I actually have a recipe for what I call Emergency Orgeat that I can share some other time. It relies on store-bought almond milk and takes about ten minutes to make. My regular orgeat takes a couple of days. My Emergency Orgeat is still better than the French Orgeat I get from Teisseire.

The following is image heavy, so I hope it doesn't mess anyone up. I apologize in advance for the quality of the pics (lack thereof) but I took them with my cell phone.

Although almond milk made from scratch is the best (no additives and other extraneous crap), the following sequence will give you an idea why it ain't so bad to use store-bought almond milk.

Preparing Your Nuts for MilkingDon't that sound nasty?

First fill the largest bowl you have around almost to the top with blanched almonds. I use slivered almonds 'cause they're already blanched, quicker and easier to chop/grind, and they're cheaper than whole blanched almonds. If you want to add even more work to this gargantuan task, you can blanch your own.

Next you fill the bowl with tap water (preferably filtered), but not the water you will use later for the milk. This is just to rinse all of the dust and 'atmospheric contaminants' that are clinging to the almonds when you bring them back from the store. You don't want the milking process to get rolling yet, so just stir it around a little and don't let them soak for more than a half hour.

Drain the bathwater. I use a large colander. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm thinking of getting one of those large salad spinners that spins the water off lettuce after you rinse it. Anyway, you're left with a very damp pile of almonds.

I usually take a l-o-n-g w-i-d-e sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and make a drying pan on top of a coffee table. Spread the almonds out into as thin a layer as you can to dry. This is just to get rid of excess water. When finished, they're still a bit damp and soft (i.e., not hard and brittle). I use a hand-held fan to speed up the process, combing through the almonds with the other hand, turning them. Don't use a big fan unless you want all the dirt from the floor to end up on your almonds.

I use a little cocktail shaker-sized blender call a Magic Bullet to grind the almonds. After returning the 'dried' almonds into a large bowl, 1 to 2 cups at a time I grind the slivered almonds into tiny nuggets.

When finished, you end up with a pasty mass of almond nuggetrines (nugget smitherines). BTW, does anyone else have a smitherine collection? It's hard to maintain. Dust particles are often bigger than the specimens. Anyway, back to the almonds. I place mine in large plastic storage containers.

Milking Your NutsStill sounds nasty, but I'm getting into it.

Using bottled or filtered water, pour the water over the almonds and fill the containers to the top.

Cover the containers and set aside at room temperature for several hours (overnight, 24 hr, 36 hr; whatever you can stand). I do not have the patience to reuse my almond mash, so I just start with a big pile of almonds so I don't have to torture myself with a second milking. One is pain in the ass enough.

Supposedly, you can speed up the milking time by heating the water and almonds, but I have always found that there's a degradation in the quality of the emulsion. You're better off setting it aside at this point and picking up the process the next day.

Extracting the Almond MilkWould it be too crude to call it extraculation?

This has to be done in stages to preserve your sanity. The first thing is to strain it all, little by little through a colander to remove the biggest masses of almond gunk.

When you finish the first stage of filtration trough the colander, you'll end up with a big bowlful of reusable almond gunk. As I said before, I don't have the patience to put this back in the plastic and milk it more. Each subsequent milking is less effective than the previous one. I would take the trouble if there was an area-wide shortage of slivered almonds. Since there is not, I just toss this.

Next I take my colander-filtered milk and strain it through a screen strainer. If I were to go directly to the cheescloth without this and the preceding step, it would take forever to remove the almond gunk from the milk. It clogs up the cheesecloth easily, so nothing drains. If you have to squeeze the cheesecloth too hard, it breaks and sends almond gunk down into the filtered reservoir.

Finally, it's time to use the cheesecloth. I pour the screen-filtered liquid little by little onto a piece of cheesecloth that is resting inside the screen strainer that is resting on top of the colander. I used to put cheesecloth over the colander, too, for the double whammy, but I skip that now. Doesn't help all that much. Mainly just adds to the mess.

As you go along, you have various bowls containing milk at various stages of filtration. Make sure you have lots of bowls around. The milk on the right is just screen-strained. The milk on the left has been poured into and gently squeezed through the cheesecloth.

Store-bought almond milk is filtered better than my most filtered home-made milk, but that doesn't really matter. The fresh orgeat separates into layers with bigger particles falling to the bottom and fine particles floating to the top. To 'harvest' the orgeat syrup you just have to figure out how to isolate the middle layer. I just use a turkey baster dedicated to my orgeat process and manually transfer the middle layer into a separate container.

When you consider all the trouble it takes to get a decent batch of high-quality, all-natural almond milk, the idea of using store-bought almond milk isn't all that hideous.